Remote lighting system



Feb. 4, 1958 JQY, RABET-l-E I 2,822,508

REMOTE LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 1, 1955 lUnited StatesA Patent REMOTELIGHTING SYSTEM Iean Y. Rabette, Bellflower, Calif., assignor oftwo-thirds to Homer C. Compton and R. A. Schaumlolfel, Los

Angeles, Calif.

Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,489 6 Claims. (ci. 315-248)This application is a continuation-in-part of my application entitledElectrical Discharge System, Serial No. 463,008, tiled October 18, 1954.

This invention relates to remote lighting and, in particular, to asystem in which illumination is provided by lamps which may be supportedby any means and which are excited by an energy source located remotefrom the lamps.

It is an object of the invention to provide a remote lighting system inwhich the light sources produce very little heat and in which there areno electric current conductors connected to or positioned adjacent thelamps, thereby reducing the hazards due to tire and shock to a minimum.

It is another object of the invention to provide a remote lightingsystem in which lamps producing various colors of light may be employedin ornamental and decorative manners without requiring unsightly wiringconnections thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide such ornamental remotelighting in which the various lamps can be illuminated and extinguishedindependently of each other and in which the lamps may have a ickeringeffect simulating candlelight or the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a remote lighting systemhaving high efficiency lamps employing a pair of electrodesinterconnected by an electrically conducting loop which maximizes theelfect of the energy intercepted by the lamp. Another object of theinvention is to provide a remote lighting system especially adapted foruse in illuminating Christmas trees or the like in which the remotelypositioned source of energy employs particularly shaped radiators toconcentrate the energy in the zone of the tree.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. The drawing merely shows andthe description merely describes preferred embodiments of the presentinvention as applied to a remote lighting system for a Christmas tree,which are given by way of illustration or example.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic representation of a Christmas tree illuminatedby a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrical oscillator and associatedcontrol circuitry for use with the embodiment of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view of a lamp for use with the embodiment of Fig. l;

iv. 4 is a view shown partly in section of an alternative embodiment ofa lamp; and

Fig. 5 is a view shown partially in section of another alternativeembodiment of a lamp.

' Referring now to Fig. l, a Christmas tree 10 mounted on a base 12 hasa plurality of lamps 14 hanging from the branches thereof. A source ofoscillating electrical A 2,822,508 Patented Feb. 4, 1958 Shown thereinbeing uniquely adapted to this function. Conductors 22 and 23 areconnected to the terminal 18,

the conductors being perpendicular to each other with the conductor 23extending vertically upward from the terminal 18. Conductors 24 and 25are connected to the terminal 20, the conductors 24 and 25 beingperpendicular to each other. The conductors 22, 24 and 25 all lie in ahorizontal plane with the conductors 22 and 25 in line with each otherand the conductor 24 directed in the direction of the tree 10. Thisnovel antenna construction provides a small apparatus which may beplaced unobstrusively in some remote corner and yet which willconcentrate a maximum amount of energy around the lamps 14 on the tree10.

The oscillating energy source 16 may include a pair of triode vacuumtubes 23, 29 (Fig. 2) connected in a conventional oscillator circuit,plate voltage being supplied to the tubes through a switch 30. Highfrequency energy is coupled from a tank circuit 31 of the oscillator tothe antenna terminals 18, 20 by a coupling loop 32. Power for operationof the oscillator is supplied by a transformer 34 having a primarywinding 35 connected to a commercial power source, such as a 60-cycleline. A secondary winding 36 provides tilament power to the tubes 28, 29through radio frequency chokes 37. With the switch 3i) in position lpower is supplied to the plates of the tubesr through a secondarywinding 38 and the oscillator operates continuously.

A relay 40 having a moving contact 41 and lixed contacts 42 and 43 iscoupled to a secondary winding 44 of the transformer 34 through athermal switch 45. The high voltage terminal of a lsecondary winding 48is connected to the xed contact 43 through a rectier 49, the rectifier49 being oriented so that a capacitor 50 connected to the moving contact41 is positively charged when the contact 41 engages a contact 43.Subsequently when the contact 41 engages the contact 42 the capacitor 50is discharged through the oscillator circuit producing a short pulse ofhigh frequency output which reduces gradually in magnitude. The switch45 may comprise a birnetallic element which closes the circuit betweenthe secondary winding 44 and the relay 40 when it is cool, but whichheats with the existence of current therein and opens said circuit,thereby moving the contact 41 alternately between the contacts 42 and43. The novel application of this control circuit to the remote lightingsystem of the invention will be described in greater detailsubsequently.

The lamp of Fig. 3 includes a pair of electrodes 60, 61, an electricalconducting loop 62 interconnecting the electrodes and an envelope 63 ofnonconducting material such as glass or the like. The electrode 61 iscentrally positioned Within the envelope 63 with an end 64 of theelectrode extending through the envelope 63, the interior of theenvelope 63 being sealed oft" from the surrounding atmosphere. ln theembodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the end 64 of the electrode 61 is madesu'iciently long so that it may be formed into the electrical conduct-Ving loop 62 and attached to the electrodeI 60, the latter' electrodebeing mounted on the exterior surface of the- `envelope 63 substantiallyaligned with the inner electrode- 61. A hook 65 which may be sealed intothe end ofr Y 3 the envelope 63 is' provided for hanging the lamp on abranch of 'the tree or the like.

The electrode 61 is coated with an electron emitting substance 67,7suchasbariurn oxide, cesium oxide or the like. The inner surface ofthe-,envelope `.63;is vcoated with a phosphorescent material 68 such asbarium, .strontium, or cesium phosphors. Priorto sealing,fthe envelope63 may be evacuated and then a small amount of a gas such as an argonand mercury vapor mixtureinjected therein. `When an electrical potentialis developed between the electrodes 6() and 61 electrons are emittedfrom the electrode 61. These emitted electrons excite the gas or gaseswithin" therenvelope which in turn excite the coating material 68producing a fluorescent type of illumination.

When the lamp of Fig. 'Bis .placed in a radiation field such as thatproduced by the antenna structure of Fig. l, a potential will'be createdbetween the electrodes 60 and 61. The electrical conducting loop 62which connects the electrodes 60 and 6i is shaped so that the potentialbetween the electrodes is a maximum for a particular frequency ofradiated energy. This maximizing effect occurs because the twoelectrodes and the conducting loop comprise a resonant circuit which istuned to this frequency. When energy of a frequency other than thatparticular frequency is being radiated, the potential between theelectrodes will be effectively zero and hence no illumination will beproduced. Because of the maximizing effect of the resonant structure,the amount of radiated energy necessary toproduce a given amount ofillumination is much less with the invention disclosed herein than withpreviously known designs.

A novel decorative effect may be produced by utilizing several groups oflamps such as those'shown in Fig. 3, each group of lamps beingconstructed to provide illumination at a different frequency. Aplurality of sources of oscillating electrical energy may be employed ora single source' having a variable frequency output may be used. As theplurality of the sources are alternately energized, the group of lampsoperable at each particular frequency will be illuminated with all otherlamps extinguished. The same etect will be Vproduced when the frequencyof the single source is varied. The location and the coloring of thevarious groups of lamps can be arranged to give unique and desirablelighting elfects.

Another novel effect can be produced by operating the oscillator of Fig.2 with the switch 3f! in position 2. Under these conditions the lampswill be brightiy lit when the moving contact 41 initially engages thecontact 42, with the magnitude of illumination decreasing thereafteruntil the energy stored in capacitor 5o is exhausted or until thecontact 41 moves from the contact 42 to the contact 43. When the relayis in the latter condition the lamps will not be illuminated. When theoperating cycle of the relay 4t) is rapid, a unique flickering effect isproduced by the lamps which more resembles that of candlelight than doesthe conventional ori-oit type of operation.

The alternative embodiment of the lamp shown in Fig. 4 includes a pairof electrodes 7i), 71 centrally positioned within a non'conductingenvelope 72, the-electrodes being spaced from each other andapproximately parallel to each other. The electrodes 70, 71 maybe coatedwith an electron-emitting substance as was the electrode 6i of Fig. 3.The envelope 72 is evacuated, coated, filled with gas and sealed in amanner sirnilar'toV the envelope 63 of Fig. 3, ends 73, V74 of theelectrodes 75), 71, respectively, extending `through 4the envelopeto theexterior thereof. The envelope 72 is attached to-a cylindrical ring 77of `nonconducting .material :by suitable means, suchV as cement at thepoint 7S. The Vends,V 73, 7d of the electrodes 70, 71 extend throughthering 77 Aand connect with an electrical conducting loopdisposedwithin the ring 77, the loop consisting of an arcuate conductor 88 whichmay be a thin strip of metal foiLa dielectric block 81 which may be athin piece of mica and a second arcuate conductor 82 which may also be athin strip of metal foil. A second cylindrical ring 83 is positionedwithin the ring 77, the elements of the electrical conducting loop beingheld in place between the two rings. Portions of the conductors and 82overlap, these overlapping portions being separated by theedielectricblock 81. A setscrew 84 is mountedsin a threaded opening in the ring 77and positioned to exert a force on the overlapping portion of thearcuate conductorSZ urgingsaid portion.

toward the overlappingportion of the arcuate conductor 80. A suspensionhook 85 is attached to the outer ring 77 by suitable meanssuch-ascementing.

When the lamp` of Fig. 4 is positioned in a suitable field ofelectromagnetic energy, a potential is created between the electrodes70, 71 and electron flow will exist therebetween. This electron flowexcites the gases within the envelope 72 which in turn excitetheinternal coating of the envelopeand light is produced in a mannersimilar to that in the embodiment of Fig. 3. r[he two arcuate conductors80, 82 and the dielectric block 81 which, in conjunction with theoverlapping portions of the conductors functions as a capacitor, providethe resonant electrical conducting loop which creates the greatlyincreased potential between the electrodes 70, 71 when the radiationfield is of, a particular frequency. In the construction of theembodiment disclosed in Fig. 4, the frequency at Vwhich the lampwillbeillurninated may be adjusted by varying the pressure exerted by thesetscrew 84.

In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the envelope and the electrodes are similarto those of Fig. 4. The ends 73, 74 of the electrodes 70, 71 areconnected by ka single conductor-87 which encircles the -envelope 72,the ends 73, 74 vand the conductor 87 being `encased in a unit-arymolded plastic' ring 88. A hook 89 is molded integrally with the-ringV88 providing aerneans for suspending the lamp. The operation of the--lampof Fig. 5 is similar Vto that of the lamp of Fig. 4.

The electrical conducting loops of embodiments shown in Figs. 4 and 5could be constructed of rigid conductors and the supportingnonconductingmaterial, such as the rings 77 and 83 and the moldedplastic S8 could be omitted. However, the structure illustrated ispreferred in that a more rugged lamp is produced and also thenonconducting material may be made of colored plastics or the likeincreasing the ornamental effect of the lamps.

Although several exemplary embodiments of the invention have beendisclosed and discussed, it will be understood that other applicationsof the invention are possible and that the embodiments disclosed may besubjected to various changes, modifications and substitutions withoutnecessari-ly departing from the spirit of the invention. The inventionmay be used in the construction of advertising and window displayswherein objects may be illuminated from a remote .source with Vnophysical connections being made to the objects. The invention is also ofadvantage in the illumination of `closed areas in which tire hazardsexist and in which the presence of electrical conductors or hightemperature illumination devices is prohibited. The oscillator whichsupplies the radiated electrical energy may be operated from batterypower supplies and the invention may be utilized to provide temporaryiliumination and/or signalling systems at locations where commercialpower vis not available, the batteries having extremely long lifebecause of the Vhigh eiiiciency of light production of the invention.

I claim as rny invention:

l. A gaseousglowlamp comprising: a nonconducting sealed envelope; a pairof electrodes centrally positioned within said envelope,fsad electrodesbeing spaced from each other, each of saidelectrodes .having an endextending from said envelope; and an electrically conducting looppositioned outside said envelope and electrically interconnecting .saidextending ends of said electrodes.

2. A gaseous glow lamp comprising: a nonconducting sealed envelope; apair of electrodes centrally positioned within said envelope, saidelectrodes being spaced from each other, each of said electrodes havingan end extending from said envelope; a rst conductor connected to one ofsaid ends; a second conductor connected to the other of said ends, aportion of said lirst conductor overlapping a portion of said secondconductor; and a dielectric positioned between said overlappingportions.

3. A gaseous glow lamp comprising: a nonconducting sealed envelope; apair of electrodes centrally positioned within said envelope, saidelectrodes being spaced from each other, each of said electrodes havingan end extending from said envelope; a iirst arcuate conductor connectedto one of said ends; a second arcuate conductor connected to the otherof said ends, a portion of said rst `arcuate conductor overlapping aportion of said second arcuate conductor, said conductors beind disposedrelative to each other so as to form a ring; and a dielectric positionedbetween said overlapping portions.

4. A gaseous glow lamp comprising: a nonconducting sealed envelope; apair of electrodes centrally positioned within said envelope, saidelectrodes being spaced from each other, each of said electrodes havingan end extending from said envelope; a first arcuate conductor connectedto one of said ends; a second arcuate conductor connected to the otherof said ends, a portion of said first arcuate conductor overlapping aportion of said second arcuate conductor, said conductors being disposedrelative to each other so as to form a ring; a dielectric positionedbetween said overlapping portions; and adjustment means for urging saidtirst overlapping portion toward said second overlapping portion.

5. A gaseous glow lamp comprising: a first nonconducting ring; a secondnonconducting ring disposed concentric with said iirst ring; anonconducting sealed envelope dependent from said rst ring; a pair ofelectrodes centrally positioned within said envelope, said electrodesbeing spaced from and substantially parallel to each other, each of saidelectrodes having an end extending from said envelope and through saidrst ring; and an electrical conducting loop mounted between saidconcentric rings, said loop interconnecting said ends of saidelectrodes.

6. A gaseous glow lamp comprising: a nonconducting sealed envelopeapproximately spherical n shape; a pair of electrodes centrallypositioned within said envelope, said electrodes being spaced from andsubstantially parallel to each other, each of said electrodes having anend extending from said envelope; and a nonconducting ring enclosingsaid envelope, said ends of said electrodes being mounted in said ring,said ring including an electrical conducting loop interconnecting saidends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,117,544 Coustal May 17, 1938 2,121,461) Waters June 21, 1938 2,181,889Hanson Dec. 5, 1939 2,268,870 Greenlee Jan. 6, 1942 2,525,624 Stahl etal. Oct. 10, 1950

